. >> reporter: last quarter, defense spending fell off the fiscal cliff. as lawmakers bickered, manufacturers who make things for the pentagon cut back production sharply-- defense spending fell 22% in the latest g.d.p. report, tipping the economy into the red. >> certainly manufacturers are pulling back and i think this is a bit of a wake up call that these cuts are real and that they have real effects on the economy. >> reporter: economists and markets did not panic over the drop into the red, because the economy is still showing signs of solid growth. businesses are still buying equipment and software. housing continues to bounce back. and consumer spending held up well, expanding at an annual rate of 2.2%. >> so if you look through some of the volatile components, demand underneath was solid and it doesn't suggest the economy is losing momentum. so a scary headline number isn't as bad as it seems when you look underneath. >> reporter: and that's what economists say federal reserve policy makers did. after studying the economy for two days, chairman ben